Stories by English Authors: London (Selected by Scribners)

In a genteel London club, a long‑time member narrates his uneasy fascination with William, the club’s perpetual waiter. Through a series of polite exchanges and quiet observations, he treats William almost as a fixture of the room, cataloguing every minor slip and indulgence as if it were a clue to the man’s private life. The narrator’s meticulous attention to etiquette and his habit of recalling fleeting faces set a tone of restrained humor that underpins the whole scene.

When William’s service falters—offering oysters to a man who loathes them, misreading a simple order—the narrator’s patience wears thin, and his internal commentary grows sharper. The story balances the absurdity of social rituals with a subtle critique of class distance, all while keeping the tone light and conversational. Listeners will enjoy the witty, observational portrait of a world where even the smallest breach of decorum can feel like a personal slight.